Westconnex revised plans for The Crescent and Victoria Rd

Westconn have submitted a Modified Proposal for The Crescent and Victoria Rd. It changes bike access to Anzac Bridge quite dramatically, and also to Glebe foreshore. The intersection with Johnston St is also totally changed.

Still waiting for information on how Lilyfield Rd cyclists will get to Anzac Bridge once the Victoria Rd footbridge goes in early 2020. Best guess is being rerouted via Catherine/Brenan/ Railway Pde to The Crescent.

Went to a meeting yesterday with RMS. They have to build the Green Link because it’s in the EIS, inserted by Dept of Planning for reasons not quite certain. One person has suggested it is to allow for big crowds to reach a footy stadium in the railyards. Shades of Tibby Cotter.

Because the flyover will be taller than the green Link Bridge they can’t run another bridge off it over to the Bay side as they were also required to do, hence the new horseshoe shaped bridge over the City West Link, which will add a few hundred metres extra distance.

Most cycling movements are catered for, but the the easy at grade path from Railway Pde to Johnston St via the mural shared path looks like being cut, although we asked them to see if width could be retained. Also to make the pedestrian down ramp off the Green Link to The Crescent a shared path.

we also asked them to retain the shoulder on The Crescent under the light rail bridge, and mark a bike lane south along The Crescent at least as far as the end of the new skate park area, so cyclists could then duck off The Crescent into Chapman Rd. If they were really keen RMS could extend the bike lane all the way to Nelson St roundabout, but it’s outside the scope of this project.

A Facebook page (nothing to do with me, it’s localAnnandale people) showing some more details and suggesting points to make if making a submission- until Sept 18. Best way to submit something is via snail mail, as the DPIE website is hopeless.

Another point for submissions is ask RMS to retain the shoulder under the light rail bridge, or even widen it, along to the refuge a bit further south. You could then use the footpath along to the path into the parklands and Chapman Rd, bypassing the skate park which has cut the Chapman Rd route (See other discussion on that). Or remove the parked cars after the refuge on the parkland side and extend a bike lane along The Crescent.